Plate
Artist unknown
1780–1820
Medium
Earthenware
Dimensions
3.2 × 23.5 cm (1 1/4 × 9 1/4 in.)
Classification
plate (general, dish)
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
8369
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Unlike the Art Institute's plate by Rudolph Drach (see 1907.122) on which the maker inscribed his name, many objects in the Pennsylvania German tradition are unmarked, obscuring authorship for subsequent generations. Creamy white slip (which appears yellow due to the lead glaze on top of it) was applied to the surface of this plate, onto which sgraffito decoration was incised. The addition of lightly applied copper oxide created green accents across the plate. Pennsylvania German vessels are fur...